


When the Ashes are two, a flame alighteth

by ladyelfriede



Category: Dark Souls (Video Games), Dark Souls III
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, F/F, i will fill this entire ship tag by myself if i have to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 11:27:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11312433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyelfriede/pseuds/ladyelfriede
Summary: Sister Friede struggles with her purpose for coming to the Painted World, and the visit of an old friend does more harm than good. Recalling her past with the Ashen One, Sister Friede wonders if love truly is enough to finally leave her pain behind.





	When the Ashes are two, a flame alighteth

**Author's Note:**

> This literally took me two whole weeks because I kept editing it constantly so I hope you guys enjoy it!! Anyway Sister Friede is a great character and I'm sad there aren't more fics of her ;-;

Hatred was a concept that Elfriede had thought to be far behind her ever since she had set foot in the Painted World of father Ariandel. Hatred didn’t fit this home of the Forlorn; a place for those who had no hope left, and could live out their lives in the cold embrace of the painting. Acquiring the trust of the father and the inhabitants of the Painted World had taken little time, and soon she had become almost like a symbol of worship. Looking back, Elfriede had not been surprised that this was her home now as well, a home she desperately desired to protect from harm. Harm burned like fire, it tore apart everything in its path, creating nothing but chaos and destruction. If there was yet one thing left that Elfriede hated, it was fire. The Flame that was nothing but a false tale of grandeur, the selfish desire of the old Gods for its continued existence, and the mere fact that it ran through her own veins only made her hatred grow stronger. She knew the tale; ash seeketh embers, the fate of the Unkindled to return the Lords of Cinder to their thrones, a purpose for which the Flame had decided her worthy enough to revive her from the ashes. That was all she was now, a husk too weak to usurp the fire and thus burned to a crisp. Perhaps her hatred of the fire came from fear and guilt, but it was a thought Elfriede preferred to push from her mind. Embers that were not her own clung to her skin as if her flesh desired to absorb them, the sparks burning against her bare hands. The Sister looked into the pale blue eyes of the young woman beneath her, her hand tightly locked around the maiden’s throat. The girl’s skin felt hot against her cool palm, Elfriede applying enough pressure to have the Ashen One gasp for breath, yet granting her enough air not to lose consciousness. The other Unkindled’s gloved fingers tugged at the wide sleeves of her robe, her eyes wild and lips parted as it took all of her strength to whisper her opponent’s name.

“Elfriede…”

* * *

 

Elfriede remembered the first time the girl had spoken her name, oh so long ago, during her first visit to the land of Lothric. She had addressed king Oceiros’ court, she and her sisters considered honoured guests visiting with intent to support the young prince Lothric. All but lies, naturally, yet Elfriede had found it incredibly easy to hide the true motive of their visit; to prevent the young prince from linking the fire and instead create the opportunity for humanity to take the flame for itself. A young woman had approached her afterwards, dressed in a rather constricting but stunning dark red dress. Her long white hair was tied in an elegant braid; her eyes warm despite their icy colour. Elfriede, who was used to wearing either armour or a long, loose black dress had been slightly amused by the girl’s instant mention that if it were up to her, she would have been wearing trousers. She had introduced herself as Ilya and nothing more, then had asked for her name in return.

“I don’t recall asking for your name”, Elfriede had said in an amused tone, Ilya’s averting her gaze in slight embarrassment. “But I’ll humour you. I am called Elfriede.”  
“Elfriede. It is a pleasure to meet you, lady Elfriede.”

Elfriede couldn’t explain why her name rolling off the woman’s tongue peaked her interest almost instantly. She raised an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“Not that fond of parties, are you?”  
“I wouldn’t be half as annoyed with them if they allowed me to wear clothing of my own preference.”  
“If it would make you feel any better, the colour looks quite wonderful on you.”  
“Why do you wear black at a festive event?”, Ilya asked Elfriede, pretending to not have noticed the compliment. Her reddened cheeks gave her away, however, and Elfriede could not help but find the girl utterly adorable.  
“It is by default the only colour me and my sisters wear. It’s also quite common in Londor for important people to dress in black.”  
“You’re important in Londor then?”  
“You could say that, but I prefer not to brag.”  
“You already did.”  
“Cheeky, aren’t we?”

Elfriede cocked her head sideways, a smile gracing her lips. The other woman couldn’t help but grin at her in response.

“I’m afraid I must take my leave shortly. I do hope to see you again after tonight, Ilya”, Elfriede spoke.  
“Oh, you definitely will! I hardly leave the palace nowadays, so we should see eachother quite soon.”  
“Do you now? You are not a servant I presume, judging from your garment.”  
“No I’m not, you could say I’m just…around. But I have troubled you for far too long, I shall take my leave.”  
“You’re no bother to me, I assure you. After all, my original assumption was that you approached me with the intent of asking me for a dance.”  
“A…dance? I’m not sure if I can…and didn’t you say you had to leave?”  
“I could lead, if that would make you feel more at ease.”  
“Well I suppose one dance won’t be much of a problem. Lead the way, lady Elfriede.”  
“Just Elfriede, if you would.”

Elfriede extended her hand, which the young woman shyly took. One dance eventually turned into many more, Elfriede too occupied to realize her sisters had long left the ballroom and had already retired to their sleeping quarters. Yuria mentioned her absence the next morning, but Elfriede found herself not caring much for her younger sister’s judgement. She merely desired a bit of fun; a little flirting here and there would not harm their plan whatsoever. She appreciated her sister’s determination and loyalty, yet found it sometimes too overbearing. Yuria called her too careless at times, but Elfriede knew her limits. Or so she thought.

Elfriede had been dumbstruck as she had found her new associate seated among the members of the royal family the next morning. King Oceiros introduced her to the sisters of Londor as his only daughter Ilya, princess of Lothric. Elfriede realized quickly that she had been toyed with as much as she had taunted the princess the night before. It had been a long time since someone had managed to leave her speechless, and she figured that taking some time to get to know the princess could prove to be quite interesting. Elfriede bowed to her before she sat down at the table, breakfast being served almost instantly as she and her sisters joined the other guests. They sat on opposite ends of the table, the princess constantly attempting to catch Elfriede’s gaze. Elfriede granted her wish, smiling gently before beckoning her with her finger. The princess smiled, giving her a slight nod. Once breakfast was over, the princess, now dressed in a plain white, linen shirt and leather trousers approached her.

“Princess Ilya, is it?”  
“I don’t particularly enjoy announcing my royal status, it makes people act…differently.”  
“I suppose that makes both of us kind of important, doesn’t it?”  
“I figure it does. Still, no reason for us to treat eachother with that awful unnecessary etiquette, is it?”  
“I’m glad you mentioned that, your majesty.”  
“Now, what did I just say”, Ilya chuckled.  
“Do not mind me, I simply love to tease. Do you have any plans for today?”  
“I’m about to attend my fencing lessons. You are welcome to join me, if you have no other enquiries.”  
“How long have you been studying fencing for? I’m quite curious to see how well you handle a blade.”  
“I’ve held a sword in my hand since a very young age. I initially wasn’t granted the privilege of lessons, but my older brother Lorian taught me all the lessons they taught him. After my mother found out, she convinced my father to have me attend lessons as well.”  
“Then I will most certainly join you. I would love for us to spar.”  
“You sound confident, lady Elfriede.”  
“Now what was it we said about etiquette?”  
“You still had that one coming, now, shall we take our leave?”

Elfriede discovered the young princess to be an excellent swordsman, her movements quick and calculated. Yet, she was no match for the highly skilled leader of the Sable Church. Elfriede noticed that the young princess was not particularly used to losing in a battle of swords, making her seem both agitated and surprised.

“You fight well, Ilya.”  
“Not well enough, it seems. You had me on the floor in no less than five minutes.”  
“First of all, you expect your opponents to play fair. Never do that, in an actual battle it might get you killed.”

Elfriede extended her hand to the princess, which she gratefully took. Ilya blushed lightly as Elfriede held her hand only a little longer than truly necessary. She then looked at the brunette, a mischievous twinkle visible in her eyes.

“Would you be willing to teach me a few things while you remain here as a guest, Elfriede?”  
“You would like to learn from me? Are you quite certain?”  
“I absolutely am. You are incredibly skilled, and I could learn many things from you.”  
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt. I would be thrilled to teach you what I know”, Elfriede spoke as she sheathed her sword, then handed it over to Ilya’s teacher.

Their lessons soon became a daily activity, and Elfriede found most of her time at the castle spent in the other woman’s presence. When she wasn’t meeting with the king or her own sisters, Elfriede could almost always be found at Ilya’s side. They would ride horses together, play chess, read together or merely chat over tea in front of a cosy fire. The last thing that Elfriede had expected to find when coming to Lothric was a friend, and it had created quite a few doubts in her mind about the intention of their visit. They were not here for the purpose she had initially told the princess, and that fact alone made her conscience eat away at her. Elfriede had always considered herself more sentimental than her sisters, but there was something about the girl that made the Sister smile genuinely whenever they were together, Ilya’s every touch lighting a small fire throughout her whole body. Their most recent meeting at the library had only made her feel more troubled, when Ilya had proposed for Elfriede to become her bedfellow. The brunette was familiar with the concept, though had never had one herself. A bedfellow was not necessarily a lover, but merely one to grant one company at night. To be granted such a precious, personal privilege to the princess made Elfriede’s heart hammer heavily in her chest. Speechless on how to answer, Ilya clarified how much she appreciated the Sister’s company, noting that she had been rather isolated in her life apart from her brothers, and had never had a girlfriend before. The word girlfriend had set off a reaction in Elfriede, slamming the book in front of her shut abruptly.

“Perhaps it would be wise not to call me your girlfriend in front of others, Ilya.”  
“But it’s true! There is no shame in it, is there?”  
“Of course there isn’t! However, in Londor, when we refer to someone as a girlfriend we mean a rather…intimate relationship. I would prefer my sisters not to hear you refer to me as such, it would give them the wrong impression.”

Ilya looked away from Elfriede, an almost nauseating shame taking a sudden hold of her. Once Elfriede saw the young woman’s eyes fill with tears, she realized that she had most definitely touched a nerve. Feeling intense guilt at hurting her friend, she placed her hand on top of Ilya’s.

“Ilya, there is nothing wrong with desiring another woman, please know this.”  
“I am aware! I am just…embarrassed. I didn’t mean to insinuate that we…that we’re…why do you care about what your sisters think about us anyway?”

Now it was Elfriede’s turn to look away. She could not deny that her feelings for the princess had grown rather…unconventional, especially for one such as her. Not only was she the exact opposite of what the royal family of Lothric stood for, she was Undead and hollow, everything regular humans despised. Even if Ilya would accept her as she was, schemes and truths lied bare, there were still her sisters. Were Yuria to find out, she would instantly chew her out for getting involved with the very people they were attempting to deceive. She looked back at Ilya, who was furiously wiping away her own tears from the corners of her eyes.

“I owe you can answer Ilya, I am aware of this. However, can we talk about this tonight, in bed? If I may take you up on your offer, that is.”  
“Then you mean to say that…”  
“Yes, I would be honoured to be your bedfellow. I promise I will tell you all that you need to know tonight.”  
“All I need to know?”  
“There are a few things you need to know about me, Ilya. I…haven’t been completely honest with you about…well, who I am.”  
“…Elfriede?”  
“My apologies, but I must take my leave. I promise I will explain everything as soon as I can.”  
“Elfriede, wait!”

That night, her first secret was quickly revealed as Elfriede undressed in front of the princess, the brand of the Undead etched into her flesh. She had told Ilya all about Londor, the land of Hollows, the Sable Church she and her sisters had created, and the untrue dark ring around her finger. Ilya had listened in awe without interruption, allowing Elfriede to tell her tale as the two of them lay under the warm blankets, turned towards eachother. Once Elfriede fell silent, Ilya took a hold of her hand and squeezed it tightly.

“Do you mean to say that…my brother will die? If he goes to link the fire he’ll…”  
“The Flame will drain his strength and he will be consumed by it, yes. The Flame will live on as intended, but he will be sacrificed. That is the true linking of the fire.”  
“Then let me help, please! Taking the flame for humanity, that’s not a bad thing, is it?”  
“Ilya?”  
“I don’t…I don’t want to lose my brother to something so…I can’t…all of it was a lie?”  
“I’m sorry, Ilya.”

The princess then started sobbing softly, Elfriede instinctively taking her into her arms. Ilya pressed her head into Elfriede’s shoulder as she returned the embrace. Neither of them said anything more, both women slowly drifting off into a deep sleep, their arms still wrapped around eachother.

Elfriede had already wondered beforehand whether or not telling the girl everything was a good idea. What was most certainly not a good idea, was her own choice to inform her sisters of it. As expected, Yuria was furious. She claimed the princess had made Elfriede too soft, too sentimental, too much…like them. She had a grander purpose to fulfil than to merely lust after some wench, Yuria had boldly stated. The eldest of the three sisters had drawn her sword then, her blackflame aura running around her arms and torso.

“The Sable Church is under my command. You may be my sister Yuria, but as long as my personal affairs do not harm our plan, I may do as I please. Do you understand?”  
“You’d hurt your own sister over something like this?”  
“Don’t give me a reason to.”

She had then left, slamming the door shut behind her. Ilya had been away from her side all day, insisting she needed time to think. After having heard the devastating fate that would await the girl’s brother, Elfriede couldn’t blame her. The Sister was grateful to find the princess in her bed later that night, her hands reaching out to Elfriede in a request for the brunette to join her. Elfriede took Ilya’s hand into her own before pressing a soft kiss to her wrist. Ilya sighed in response, burying her face into Elfriede’s shoulder.

“How are you feeling?”  
“Do you really wish to know?”  
“Of course I do, why wouldn’t I?”  
“I get the feeling I nag too much, I don’t want to agitate you.”  
“You didn’t run off when I told you I’m an Undead, I think I can manage with a little nagging”, Elfriede spoke with a warm smile.

Ilya laughed gently at her response, then looked away with a soft blush adorning her cheeks.

“Elfriede?”  
“Yes?”  
“When we were in the library the other day we spoke about girlfriends, remember?”  
“Of course I do.”  
“And you mentioned that there is nothing wrong with desiring other women?”  
“You don’t need to tell me Ilya, I had my suspicions.”  
“I want to kiss you Elfriede, but I don’t know how to...It’s embarrassing. I know how to handle a bow, how to use a sword, how to cast miracles, but I know nothing of kissing someone.”

Elfriede could feel her heart hammer violently in her chest at Ilya’s confession. She looked into the girl’s eyes, the look in them loving yet insecure.

“You want to kiss me? Are you quite sure about that? I’m an abomination to your land, Ilya. Your family will not approve if they find out what I truly am.”  
“I don’t care. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and I want to be with you as long as time allows me to.”  
“Then how can I say no?”

Elfriede hovered over Ilya, not letting go of the maiden’s hand. She moved her free hand to Ilya’s chin, her thumb running over the princess’ lower lip. When Ilya closed her eyes Elfriede moved in, pressing her lips shortly and softly to the blonde’s. Elfriede could feel a comfortable heat spread throughout her as Ilya began to return the kiss, pressing kisses all over the Sister’s cheeks and nose when she withdrew. Elfriede couldn’t help but giggle at the innocence of it, the heartfelt, genuine smile gracing Ilya’s face. Upon seeing that smile, for the first time in years, Elfriede felt happy. She moved back onto her side, drawing Ilya into her arms once more as she swore to herself that she’d do anything to protect this girl.

Keeping their relationship a secret had proven to be difficult. Elfriede had a hunch Yuria was spying on them at every possible occasion, making her feel uneasy whenever she and Ilya were by themselves. Perhaps Yuria had been right when she had deemed her older sister careless, for Elfriede had found it to be easy to throw all caution to the wind the first time Ilya’s hands had started to wander. With the princess’ pressed onto one of the desks and Elfriede above her, pulling at the fabric of Ilya’s shirt while kissing her, they were quickly forced to part as they heard the door to the library open. The Sister had quickly forgiven the intrusion that same night, when she had found the princess in her bed devoid of any clothing. They had made love for the first time that evening, Elfriede running her hands through Ilya’s hair as the girl slept peacefully against her chest.

The night before the sisters’ return to Londor she had spent beside the princess as usual, both realizing that neither of them would get much sleep. They spoke of many things, Elfriede promising to write as quickly as she could, Ilya promising in return she’d look out for her brother and attempt to prevent the fire being linked. It comforted Elfriede that somehow their plan had worked, though not as direct as they had hoped. Perhaps they had been too naïve, thinking they could influence the royalty of a land as religious as Lothric. Before their departure, Elfriede had decided she would share one last thing with her love.

“Ilya, I have one last gift for you before I take my leave tomorrow.”  
“Hmm? A gift?”  
“It is perhaps an odd one but…it is something that might help you in times of need.”  
“Is it something that will protect me?”  
“In a way, yes. But you must learn how to use it effectively for it to help you. Now, shut your eyes.”

Ilya’s eyes closed almost immediately, a sigh escaping her as Elfriede’s hand traced up her bare torso and stopped at her heart. She felt an almost burning sensation coming from the Sister’s palm, groaning softly in discomfort. The pain disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, her body now filling with an entirely new form of energy. The feeling faded when Elfriede withdrew her hand, moving it to Ilya’s cheek before pressing a kiss to the princess’ forehead.

“There, all done. Now, the power of my blackflame is also partly yours. Use it wisely, and it will give you great strength.”  
“Elfriede, that’s…I can’t find the words to tell you how much this means to me, I apologize.”  
“No need, my love. I just hope you will not forget me.”  
“I won’t ever forget you, I promise.”  
“Shall we seal that with a kiss?”  
“That I can definitely do.”

Ilya’s lips found Elfriede’s in an almost desperate kiss, pulling the brunette on top of her. Elfriede was surprised to find tears burning in her own eyes, a single drop falling onto Ilya’s cheek.

“You’re crying.”  
“It seems like it, yes”, Elfriede muttered, wiping away another tear.  
“We’ll see eachother again, Elfriede. One way or another, whatever happens, I will find you when you need me the most.”  
“You are full of promises today, it seems.”  
“I guess one good thing about me is that I keep them, no matter what.”  
“In that I shall trust you, then. I...Ilya, I…I love you.”  
“Elfriede…”  
“I apologize if that was too soon, I merely wanted to have said it in case it might be long before we meet again and I…”  
“Hush, it’s alright dear. I love you too.”

They then spoke no more, making love one last time before they finally fell asleep. Elfriede held Ilya close to her, afraid that if she were to let go, the girl would slip away. The road ahead would be difficult, but as long as Ilya waited for her, she promised herself to not let anything break her spirit. Her eyelids then fell shut, the world around her growing dark.

* * *

 

“Elfriede…you’re…crying”

Elfriede opened her eyes, her hand still tightly locked around Ilya’s throat. Only then could Elfriede feel the hot tears sliding down her cheeks.

“That is no longer my name”, Elfriede managed to whisper, her throat dry and aching. “Leave this place, sweep all thoughts of us from thy mind. As thy kind always have.”  
“Elfriede, please…”  
“Leave, now!”  
“I can’t! I promised!”  
“Do not test my patience!”

Elfriede removed her hand from Ilya’s throat, the young woman coughing loudly as she gasped for air. The Sister rose to her feet, picking up the scythe from the cold stone tiles.

“If you will not leave voluntarily, so be it. Get on your feet and pick up your sword, though you know how this will end. You will die, and you will enter this room time and time again, and the result will never be any different.”  
“If you want to get rid of me you’re going to have to forcibly escort me out of this room. I don’t have any intention of actually winning this battle; I could care less in all honesty. I’m here for you, because I made a promise I’d be there for you when you would need me most. I hate to see you suffer like this, Elfriede, you deserve better than to torture yourself so.”  
“You’re naïve and selfish. You have killed many to get to me, including the good Father. You’re wasting your time, begone.”  
“You’re calling me selfish? By the Gods Elfriede, do you ever leave this chapel? Have you seen Ariandel? Have you seen what that blasted rot is doing to this world and the creatures that live in it? They’re dying, Elfriede. They’re in pain, the rot eats away at them and why? Because you don’t realize that it’s time for this world to end, for the sake of a new world. How are you the one now wanting to preserve this place, when you wanted nothing more than to end the age of Fire?”  
“I owe you no explanation.”  
“Fine, if that is the way you want to go about it.”

Ilya slowly got to her feet, picking up her straight sword and lifting it in front of her with both hands. Elfriede lunged at the girl without warning, her eyes widening as an aura of dark flames formed around the Ashen One, the impact knocking Elfriede back. The Sister landed on her feet, the shock making her hood slide off her face. Ilya seemed shocked as she finally saw Elfriede’s burned and scarred face, but her resolve showed no hesitation. Dark fire engulfed the room as they clashed time and time again, until both were finally on their last legs.

“Come with me”, Ilya panted heavily. “Please…”

Elfriede was too exhausted to speak, the use of her blackflame starting to take its toll on her body. It had been too long since had used it, unaware of the exact amount of strength it drew from her. She fell onto her knees, the grip on her scythe faltering. The mere thought of dying on this cold stone floor made the hatred inside her well up once more, the Sister gritting her teeth in anger. Was this how everything would end? Would there be no one left to protect? Elfriede looked up at the other Unkindled, a warm feeling spreading throughout her as the girl managed a small but genuine smile. It took away the anger and hatred, and finally it made Elfriede realize what the Painting World lacked, the one thing that could never make her feel truly at home. Ilya approached her slowly, her own sword also falling to the floor with a loud clang. She dropped down on her knees next to Elfriede, taking the Sister into her arms and holding her to her chest.

“Elfriede, I promised I’d be there for you. I’m sorry I was too late to save you.”  
“It’s not your fault”, Elfriede managed to whisper, not caring for the fact that she could feel new tears well up in her eyes. “Can you…make me one more promise?”  
“Of course I can, what do you need?”  
“Could you…could you be my home?”

The girl sobbed, clinging onto Elfriede as if she were to disappear at any given moment.

“Of course, of course, yes I will, I…”  
“Take me home”, Elfriede whispered, turning her head to press a single, soft kiss to Ilya’s lips. Elfriede’s eyes fell shut, exhaustion overtaking her. Ilya nodded as she rose to her feet, Elfriede’s body in her arms. It would take a lot to mend what they had lost, but Ilya had made a promise to Elfriede and she had no intention to break it. Perhaps the prophecy was true in more ways than one.

When the Ashes are two, a flame alighteth. But for now, it was not a flame of destruction, but one of love. And that would be the only prophecy Ilya would follow.


End file.
